Catharine “Cat” Adams is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB). A native of Washington State with an undergraduate degree in Evolutionary Ecology, Cat is currently researching the evolutionary ecology of plant-fungal interactions in the lab of Professor Anne Pringle. Cat pursues many diverse interests and activities such as music and science writing in addition to her lab work. One of her more unique--and integrative--projects is her Science Is Metal blog, which, she says, “unites the awesomeness of metal music with the realm of hardcore science”.

So here’s Cat’s story, in her own words:

"I’ve been interested in biology ever since I took a biotechnology course in high school. As soon as we got to make our own glow in the dark E. coli, I was hooked. Later that year, I participated in a biotechnology project competition, where most the students wrote essays or made posters. With the help of two of my friends, I played a live set of cover songs I’d written about biology and genetics. When we played “CGTA,” a rock cover of the Village People’s classic song “YMCA”, students even came on the stage to dance the somewhat more complicated arm motions. After my project, the leaders of the competition expanded the Arts category to make a separate music category, since the judges felt inadequate to judge it. It was that epic, and I felt like a rock star.

When I applied to the University of Washington in Seattle, I originally planned to keep studying something related to biotech. It wasn’t until I traveled to Bolivia to study wild chili peppers that I realized that field biologists are basically rock stars. Field work can be intense, sometimes dangerous, and incredibly interesting. As soon as I could, I changed from the microbial lab I had been working in, where I’d been studying the evolution of cooperation in the slime bacteria Myxococcus xanthus, and switched to a lab which focused on broader questions with ecological and evolutionary components, like why chili peppers evolved to make spice.

Chilies are a great model system for someone that is interested in interactions between different organisms. The reason chilies make spice is actually to fight off parasitic fungi that sneak into the fruits via holes made by insects. Spice is like an anti-fungal gun that keeps the fungus from being able to destroy the seeds. I worked on this project throughout my undergraduate career, visiting Bolivia 5 times for field studies, and performing lots of different types of lab and greenhouse experiments. I developed a keen appreciation of fungi, because there’s so many hidden microbial ones that drive ecological patterns and because fungi can play so many different roles. They can be pathogens, but they can also be mutualists on plant roots (mycorrhizae), or inside grasses as endophytes, producing chemicals that help deter herbivores. Fungi also decompose plant and animal matter, which is critical for returning carbon to biogeochemical cycles. Plus, fungi aren’t nearly as well studied as plants or animals; there are a lot more opportunities for discovering completely novel organisms and interactions in fungi than in a lot of other groups.

Being a scientist has allowed me to travel to amazing places, plus given me first-hand experience analyzing my own data and writing drafts of scientific papers. Because I’ve always had a love for rock and metal music, my blog www.ScienceIsMetal.com is a way that I show that being a scientist is surprisingly a lot like being a metal musician, and all the different genres of metal are akin to the many different ways of conducting scientific research. I started the blog just before coming to Harvard, and plan to continue it throughout my PhD study so others can get a glimpse into what life as a PhD student is like.

So far, life as a graduate student in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) is pretty awesome. My undergraduate degree was in Evolutionary Ecology, but most the classes I took then were in ecology rather than evolution. Now, I like to think my background in ecology can be a useful contrast in a research program that focuses predominantly on evolution because evolution and ecology are two sides of the same coin. An ecosystem’s evolutionary history eventually results in its present-day ecology, but one can also argue that, throughout time, the different ecologies influenced evolution.

Everyone in the Pringle lab is fun, not only because they study FUNgi, but also probably because my PI, Anne, picks such great researchers to join the lab. Research-wise, I started out growing new chili plants in case my research continues in that direction. But I’m also very intrigued by the amazing fossil collection at OEB. This past summer, I used the Paleobotany collections to examine how the evolution of fungi that can break down lignin, a key component of plant tissues, might be responsible for the abrupt end of fossil fuel formation millions of years ago. Once these fungi evolved, they could break down every bit of plant matter. Plant matter no longer accumulated in bogs like it had previously, eventually becoming compressed into fuel. Fungi broke it down, as they still do today, and return the matter that was stored in those plants back to the nutrient cycle.

OEB and Harvard also offer plenty of opportunity for outreach. As an undergraduate, I took a year-long course in science journalism, and published a few articles through the University of Washington’s online magazine, Northwest Science and Technology News. At Harvard I’ve started writing for the Science in the News Flash. My first article highlighted the findings of the Chili Project I’ve been involved with (the link: https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/sitnflash_wp/2012/11/issue131b/).

My next article will be for the Space Exploration Special Edition. To further my education in science communication, I participated in Communicating Science 2013, a national conference for graduate students that was held here at Harvard this past June. The conference featured a panel of guest speakers providing lessons on engaging non-scientific audiences, interacting with the media, and more. Frankly, science is too interesting to hoard it among the scientists.

If you are interested in keeping up to date on my research and outreach, you can follow my blog at www.ScienceIsMetal.com. Or, if you’re too busy, you can always follow me on Twitter, for bite-sized bits of science in 140 characters or less. My handle, predictively, is ScienceIsMetal."

Data analytics are changing the way life scientists do basic and clinical research, and especially translational research. On April 4, HILS is pleased to co-host a workshop featuring expert speakers who will describe how life sciences PhDs can engage with ‘Big Data’ to enhance their future career pursuits.

Panelists include--

Zak Kohane, MD PhD, director of the i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside)

As part of our ongoing 'Lively Life Sciences' activities, HILS is pleased to announce our 8th annual call for Student Event Proposals. We will fund up to 2 student-organized events during the Fall 2013 ORSpring 2014 terms. Help keep the life sciences lively, and consider submitting a proposal!

HILS 2013 Request for Proposals (RFPs) for Student-Organized Events HILS will fund up to 2 student-organized events during the Fall 2013 OR Spring 2014 terms that conform to the following criteria:

The events must feature topics, concerns, or themes related to the life sciences (biological or biomedical).

Events must be held at Harvard (on the Cambridge campus or at the Longwood Medical Area), and must include receptions or similar opportunities for HILS student/faculty/staff mixing.

Student organizing teams must include participants from at least two HILS programs; the organizing teams must work with at least one faculty advisor of their choice from a HILS program. Submitted proposals must be signed by all student team members and by the HILS faculty advisor(s).

At least one speaker or featured participant must be affiliated with Harvard. However, non-Harvard speakers, distinguished guests, and attendees are encouraged to participate.

The maximum funding award will be $2,000 per approved event. Deadline for proposal submission is Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 5:00p.m.

Proposals will be reviewed and approved by HILS program staff and faculty members from the HILS Coordinating Committee.